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Vietnam

Vietnam signed a fairly comprehensive bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United States in 2000. It came into force in 2001. The BTA was part of the post-war "trade normalisation" process between the two countries and should be seen as strong precursor to a watertight US FTA. In June 2007, Hanoi and Washington signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, yet another step towards a possible FTA. And in December 2008, the two governments began negotiating a hardcore bilateral investment treaty (BIT), yet another.

In January 2007, Hanoi and Tokyo began talks towards a Japan-Vietnam deal, which was finally signed in December 2008. Shortly after, Vietnam began talks with Chile, with the FTA signed in 2011. Hanoi already signed an FTA with Israel back in 2004 and may join the TPP. It is also intending to negotiate FTAs with EFTA, Russia and Mexico

As a member of ASEAN, Vietnam is caught up in the bloc’s regional FTA dealings with Korea, the EU, China, Japan and India. The Vietnamese government has also signed a number of bilateral intellectual property and science & technology agreements with industrialised countries, as well as more than 30 BITs.

last update: May 2012
Photo: Phó Nháy/Wikimedia


Vietnamese firms unenthusiastic about FTA with South Korea
While the government hopes the free trade agreement with South Korea will bring benefits to Vietnam, businesses fear it will bring them more losses than gains.
VN-South Korea FTA: A chance to develop firms
The Viet Nam - South Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed on May 5 is expected to bring positive effects to many of the countries’ economic fields.
Vietnamese exporters need to plan for FTA lawsuit liability
New free trade agreements (FTA) will help Vietnamese companies improve access to markets and diminish costs, but they will also require strategies and policies to minimise the probability of trade lawsuits, speakers said at a seminar on global trade late last week in HCM City.
Laos, Vietnam expand free trade agreement
Laos and Vietnam signed an improved free trade agreement (FTA) on March 3, 2015, to replace their existing treaty dating back to 1998.
Vietnam completes negotiations for 3 of 6 major free trade pacts
Vietnam says it has completed negotiations for FTAs with the Customs Union, the EU and South Korea, while remaining are the TPP, RCEP and EFTA.
Vietnam prepares for flood of imports
Vietnam will be flooded with foreign goods as a result of the Trans Pacific Partnership and Vietnamese companies may not be able to take advantage of the agreement, a local expert says.
Vietnam may see little gains from Russian FTA
The final negotiation between Vietnam and the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on their free trade agreement (FTA) concluded last month right around the time that Russia’s economy took a nose dive.
Vietnam and South Korea complete free trade agreement
South Korea and Vietnam have concluded negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement that will remove import tariffs on more than 90 percent of all products.
Vietnam, S.Korea conclude talks for free trade deal
Vietnam and South Korea on Wednesday wrapped up negotiations for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement that seeks to triple bilateral trade turnover to US$70 billion by 2020.
Vietnam to spend nearly $5bn on meat, animal feed material imports in 2014
Vietnam is forecast to spend as much as US$4.5 billion on imports of animal feed material, plus another $400 million on cattle and poultry meat shipments this year, a trend that will grow under TPP.